Before The Game
by whyyouackinsocraycray
Summary: What happened long before Calhoun and Vanellope were even created? Before Fix-It Felix Jr. became one of the most popular games in the arcade? Even before Turbo...well, went Turbo? This story gives all of these answers and more. My first WIR fanfic. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**_Author's Note: Hey, everyone! This is my first attempt at a WIR fic. This is a prequel (though it does have some parts that take place after the events of the movie, as the whole thing is Ralph and Felix telling Vanellope a story) because I think that every character (hero and villain alike) deserves a good backstory, and I wanted to know more about what happened to the characters when they were younger, so I figured that I'd write a story that does just that. There are a lot of OCs in this fic, as well, because I found them pretty necessary. This will eventually contain spoilers, but I'm assuming that anyone reading WIR fanfiction has probably already seen the movie. Okay, now I'm rambling. Enjoy!_**

"Can you guys tell me a story?"

"Uh, okay, Vanellope." Ralph replied.

"What kind of story do you want to hear, little missy?" Felix asked.

"How about what it was like in the arcade before Sugar Rush got plugged in." Vanellope replied.

"Oh, the stories we could tell about **that**, eh, Ralph?"

"Definitely."

"Alright; we'll tell you a story about that. But before we start, I have to make this clear; the games from our generation are a little bit different than yours."

"What do you mean, Felix?" Vanellope asked.

"Well you see, nowadays, what a character does for a living is programmed into them as a part of their code."

"Yeah. So?"

"Well, **we** had to go to school."

**_35 Years Earlier_**

Two teenagers, one boy and one girl, walked down the hallway of Litwak High, side by side.

"Oh my gosh; I can't believe it's really our first day of school! I'm so excited!" The girl squealed, pushing a strand of her wavy, brown hair out of her face.

"Relax, Felicity!" The boy laughed. "It's no big deal."

"No big deal? Felix, what we do here is what determines our entire future! What game we'll be in, what role we'll play…"

"Well, I already know what I'm going to do." Felix replied. "I'm going to be a fixer, just like Dad!"

"Yeah. There sure are a lot of games that require **that**." Felicity replied sarcastically. "What are they going to do, make a game just for you?"

"It could happen."

"Sure. And one of our best friends could become a bad guy, but** I'm** not counting on it."

"You know, if you weren't my twin sister, I'd be giving you** such** a look right now."

"Oh, I'm soo scared."

"Come on, let's just get to class."

**_Present Day_**

"Wait, wait, wait. You have a twin sister?" Vanellope interrupted.

"Yeah." Felix replied.

"Well, why haven't I met her?"

"I'll get to it. Just be patient."

**_35 Years Earlier_**

Walking into the classroom, the twins sat down next to each other.

"I wonder what kind of people we'll meet here!" Felicity said excitedly as the bell rang. As if on cue, a boy clumsily sprinted in, and tripped at the doorway; his books flying everywhere. Felicity instantly got up and ran over to help him, while most of the other students just laughed. Felix shook his head in pity. Once they had gathered all of the books and papers, they finally looked up at each other for the first time. The boy had messy, blonde hair and huge glasses. He wore a red and white striped t-shirt, ripped up jeans, and old sneakers.

"T-thanks." He said shyly, breaking their eye contact.

"No problem." She replied. "You want to come sit with me and my brother?"

"Uh, sure."

"Oh, and by the way, what's your name?"

"T-Teddy."

"Well, T-Teddy, I'm-"

"Felicity." Teddy interrupted. "Everyone knows you and Felix. Your dad's _kind of _a celebrity."

**_Present Day_**

"Okay, two questions." Vanellope interrupted. "First of all; your dad was famous?"

"Yeah. The original Fix-It Felix game was the most popular game in the arcade at the time." Ralph replied.

"And who's this Teddy kid? Do I know him?"

"We'll get to that eventually. He'll become pretty important later on." Felix said.

"Okay, that's it. Carry on."

**_35 Years Earlier_**

"You don't really want scum like **that** sitting near you, do you?" Felicity heard from behind her. She turned to see a boy unlike anyone she had ever seen before. His black hair was slicked back with an incredible amount of grease, which was made even more obvious by the incredible contrast between his dark hair and unbelievably pale skin. He wore a leather jacket, jeans, and brand new, top-of-the-line sneakers. "My name's Jack, but you can call me the man of your dreams."

"I'll stick with Jack." Felicity said coldly.

"I'm really not liking your tone." He said. "I was just trying to be friendly."

"Well, it's not working."

"Well, we just can't have that, can we? First impressions always tend to be the most important, and it doesn't seem like I'm doing all that well."

"Nooo." Felicity said sarcastically.

"Well, let me make it up to you. What do you say I take you out tonight? If you still don't like me, then that's fine, but I'd hate to lose the opportunity to spend time with such a charming, beautiful young lady such as yourself."

"Alright smooth-talker, you've got me hooked."

"Alright. I'll pick you up around seven."

"You have a car?"

"Well, no. But my dad does. The fastest racecar in the arcade. Maybe we can take it out for a spin on the track."

"Maybe. Do you want to be a racer?"

"Yep. Always have." He replied, putting his arm around Felicity. Felix rolled his eyes. His sister could be so **naive **sometimes. Couldn't she see that this guy was nothing but trouble? "I can guarantee you, gorgeous, that I **will** be the greatest racer this arcade has ever seen! Wait, scratch that. Make that the greatest racer **ever**."

"Showoff." Teddy scoffed under his breath.

"What was that, twerp?"

"N-nothing."

"Oh, it was something, alright." Jack said, grabbing Teddy by his shirt collar. "Ya think I'm a showoff, huh? Well, trust me loser; when you're an NPC in some stupid game that no one ever plays, and I'm the main character in the most popular game in the arcade, we'll see who the showoff is. Now why don't you run off, and take your big mouth with ya?" He dropped the messy-haired teen on the floor, who proceeded to quickly get up and run to a table at the other side of the room.

"That was really uncalled for, Jack." Felicity said sternly.

"Yeah! Felix added. "He wasn't doing anything wrong! That was just mean!"

"Oh, please. Me and that dork go way back. He's never given me anythin' but trouble. I've had to get pretty tough, 'cuz it's the only way to get anythin' through to him. Sometimes, I'm surprised he's not a glitch."

"Really?" Felicity asked, obviously believing his story. Felix, on the other hand, was not so easily fooled. He turned to look towards Teddy, who now sat alone at the back table, and while Felix could tell that he was trying as hard as he could not to, he could have sworn that he started to cry.

**_Present Day_**

"That's horrible!" Vanellope exclaimed. "Were **all** racers self-absorbed jerks back then?"

"Well, not **all** of them." Ralph said. "But racing games were really popular back then, so many of them tended to get big heads."

"Well, at least that Teddy guy seems nice. But he wasn't a racer, was he?"

"Well, technically no one had their official titles yet at that point." Felix replied. Vanellope shot him a look of confusion, and he figured that he should explain some more. "You see, when we were in school, we learned the basics of every type of game. When we graduated, the teachers got together and decided what each one of our strong suits were and implanted our codes into incoming games that required said skill."

"That sounds really complicated."

"That's probably why they changed it." Ralph laughed.

"Well, let's get on with the story!"

**_Well, that's Chapter 1! Hope you guys liked it. Please leave a review if you have any comments, questions, or theories about what might happen next! Thank you._**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Author's Note: Okay, so I guess that some parts of the story is confusing, so I'll explain some things. Litwak High is in Game Central Station (It was taken down when they changed how things were done with the characters job-wise). Felicity is Felix's twin sister. Jack and Teddy are my other OCs, but I can't really explain much more than that, as I will give away the ending. I hope you enjoy Chapter 2!_**

**_35 Years Earlier_**

Later that night, Felicity heard a soft *tap tap* on the door.

"I'll get it!" She yelled, running to the door. She pulled it open to reveal Jack, who was leaning on the doorway.

"Hey, beautiful." He said. "You ready for the best date of your life?"

"Whoa, hold on there, Jack. I never said that this was a **date**."

"Well, maybe you'll change your mind later."

"Whatever you say, hotshot." She said, turning around. "Dad, I'm going out!"

"Alright, honey!" Fix-It Felix Sr. called out. "Have fun!"

"Thanks, Dad. Bye!" She yelled, walking towards the car. What she didn't realize was that her brother was following right behind.

**_Present Day_**

"So you were spying on them?" Vanellope asked.

"In a word; yes." Felix replied. "But in my defense, I **really **didn't trust that guy."

"So what happened on the date?"

"Well, there wasn't much. He drove her to the racetrack, and then they had dinner."

"They didn't start **dating** after that, did they?"

"Well, unfortunately, they did. Maybe if they hadn't, then things would have turned out differently."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see later."

"Well, get on with it, then!"

**_35 Years Earlier_**

A few days later, Teddy approached the twins in school.

"So Felicity," he said. "I heard you and Jack are a thing now."

"Yeah." She said awkwardly, remembering the way Jack had treated Teddy on the first day of school.

"I just thought I should warn you about him."

"**Warn** me?"

"Yeah. Look, he comes off as a sweet-talking, cool guy, but in reality he's just a total jerk. He only cares about himself, and will do just about **anything** for attention."

"Look, Ted; I know that you two don't get along, but from what I have seen, he's actually really sweet."

"Yeah, that's what they all say before they get their hearts broken."

"Teddy, I get that you're trying to help me. You seem like a really nice guy, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell me how to handle my personal life!" She said sternly.

"Felicity!" Felix scolded.

"I really like Jack, and I'm sure you would, too if you got to know him." She said, ignoring Felix.

"Oh, I know him alright. I just wish I didn't." Teddy scoffed.

**_Present Day_**

"Why did Teddy and Jack hate each other so much?" Vanellope asked.

"It's a long story."

"Does it come up in **this** story?"

"Yes, but not quite yet."

"Alright. Proceed."

**_35 Years Earlier_**

"Finally! The class I've been waiting for!" Jack exclaimed. "Racing!" Teddy looked over at him from across the room and rolled his eyes.

"Okay, class." The teacher said, walking in. "It's time to learn how to race. First, let's go over the basic mechanics in every car." She started passing out papers with diagrams of various racecars on them.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Jack said, standing up. "We could be out on a track racing, and we have to do **paperwork **instead?!"

"Well some of us don't actually know **how** to race!" Teddy said, standing up and facing Jack. "So why don't you just sit back and pretend to be perfect, like you always do, because you just so happen to know a** little** more about the topic than the rest of us?"

"Well, well. If it isn't the world's biggest dork, trying to show **me **up. Well trust me when I say this, loser: racing is in my code. I **will** be-"

"The greatest racer ever." Teddy finished for him. "Blah, blah, blah."

"That's enough, you two!" The teacher yelled. "Now sit down before I send you both to the principal!"

"S-sorry, ma'am." Teddy said, sitting down sheepishly, and hiding his face in a book. Jack just scoffed and sat down, putting his feet up on the desk.

**_Present Day_**

"Okay, one more quick question." Vanellope interrupted.

"Yeah, Vanellope?" Felix replied.

"Is Ralph going to show up at some point?"

"Yes, yes he is."

"Okay. And what about King Ca- I mean Turbo? Does he show up?"

"Well don't you see, Vanellope?" Ralph replied. "He already has."


	3. Chapter 3

"What do you mean, Turbo already showed up?" Vanellope asked. "I haven't heard his name."

"Well, his name wasn't always Turbo." Felix said.

"So he's had **three** different names?"

"I guess so." Ralph replied. "Turbo, King Candy, _and_- **wait**! I don't want to give it away!"

"I already have a pretty solid guess." Vanellope said.

"Well, keep it to yourself for now." Felix replied. "If you're wrong, we want it to be a surprise."

"Okay, then. Can we get back to the story?"

"No problem."

**_35 Years Earlier_**

"Oh, boy! Shop class! I can't wait!" Felix exclaimed, just about bouncing up and down in his seat.

"Relax, Felix!" Felicity laughed. "It's no big deal."

"**No big deal?** Felicity, this is the class that I've been looking forward to from day one! Finally, a chance to **build** something!"

"Well, be ready to be disappointed." He heard from behind him. **Jack**. "Racing class was totally **lame**. We didn't even get out on the **track**!"

"Well, that's next week, sweetie!" Felicity said, grabbing his hand. "Come on, let's go sit over there!" She pulled him over to a table on the other side of the room. Felix looked around, wondering who else was there. Jack and Felicity, of course, Mario, Pac-Man (How was **he** going to hold tools?), several people whose names he had yet to learn, and sitting in the way back, reading a book, was Teddy. Felix frowned. Teddy was a perfectly nice guy. There was no reason for him to be sitting alone in the back. Felix grabbed his books, stood up, and walked over to Teddy's table, to the surprise of just about everyone in the room.

"Hey, Teddy." He said, making him jump. He clearly hadn't expected anyone to come up to him at all, let alone talk to him. Jack had made sure that there would be none of **that**.

"H-hey, Felix. What are you doing back here?"

"Well, I was wondering if I could sit here."

"Oh, sure, I'll move." Teddy replied, scrambling for his things.

"No, I meant **with** you, Ted."

"Oh… **Really**?"

"Yeah."

"A-alright, then. H-have a seat!" Felix sat down next to Teddy, who glanced at him, marked his page, and put his book down.

"Sooo." Felix said awkwardly. "How've you been?"

"Good, I guess." Teddy replied, glancing over at Felicity and Jack. Felix remembered what she had said to him a few days prior and figured that he should apologize for her.

"Don't take what she said to heart." He said. "She just really likes Jack, for some strange reason. You know how girls are with bad boys. I'll never get it."

"Me neither." Teddy laughed. "I just can't stand him! Going on and on about how great he is, and how everyone should love him because he's a good racer."

"Yeah, but unfortunately there's nothing we can do about it. Even aside from the bragging, why does he torment you the way he does, anyway?"

"Weelllllllllll…"

"What?"

"My dad is kind of the bad guy in his dad's game."

"But you're so nice! How could your dad be a **bad guy?**"

"Well that's a common misconception about video game villains. Sure, some are truly bad, but off the clock, most of them are just as nice as the next guy. Well, unless the next guy's Jack, in which case they're **much****_ nicer_**."

"I'm sorry that you have to deal with him."

"Well, when we get out of school and get our own games, then I won't have to see him so much."

"Yeah." Felix replied. Then there was a long pause. Then, Felix looked towards Jack, and back at Teddy. "And you know what?" He asked.

"What?"

"I know that it probably wouldn't be something that you would choose to do, but if you were in a race against Jack, I bet you'd win."

"You're just saying that."

"No, I'm not. Racing takes much more than just being fast. You need to know your cart, have strategies, have tricks. And I can just about guarantee that Jack doesn't have any of those things. **You **do."

"Alright, let's say I somehow managed to win a race against Mr. I'm-the-greatest-racer-ever, then what?"

"Well, I guess then **you'd** be the greatest racer ever."

"Maybe by Jack's standards, but I'm more humble than that."

"Yeah, but it still would be pretty fun, huh?"

"I guess." Teddy laughed.

"Do you want to maybe hang out later?" Felix offered.

"Uh, s-sure!" Teddy exclaimed.

"You seem surprised that I'm asking."

"Well no one's ever actually asked me to hang out before."

"**Really?**"

"Yeah. Jack is so popular that people tend to do whatever he says, and therefore, everyone either ignores or hates me."

"Well, we'll just have to change that, won't we?"

"I don't know if we can. Jack has kind of done a lot to damage my reputation."

"Well, don't worry about that. Undoing damage is what I do best!"

"But-"

"Relax. I can fix it!

**_Present Day_**

"Did you **really** think you could do all that?" Vanellope asked.

"Well, sort of. I didn't know exactly how to do it, but Teddy seemed like a really nice guy, and I wanted to help him in any way that I could." Felix replied.

"What did Felicity think about that?"

"I'll get to it eventually."

**_35 Years Earlier_**

"I wonder where the teacher is." Teddy said. "Class should be starting now." As if on cue, the teacher walked in with an incredibly tall, muscular boy that the two of them had never seen before."

"Class," The teacher addressed them, "This is Ralph. He's a new student here at Litwak High. I expect you all to be welcoming to him." She turned her head and looked towards Jack as if to say _"I'm looking at you, Bucko."_ Jack just scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Alright, Ralph. Have a seat." He looked around, then, upon seeing the empty seat next to Felix, he walked over.

"Hey, Ralph." Felix said cheerfully.

"Hey."

"I'm Felix, and this here's my buddy Teddy." He said, gesturing towards his new friend.

"Nice to meet you." Ralph said. "Just a fair warning before we start; you might want to watch out when we start building things."

"Why?" Teddy asked.

"I happen to have a tendency to break things, so there may be some flying pieces."

"Well, if you need help building things, I happen to be-"

"Fix-It Felix's son?" Ralph finished.

"Well, yes. So I can give you some pointers."

"You can try. I don't know if it'll do much good, though."

**_Present Day_**

"So that's how you guys met?" Vanellope asked.

"Yep." Ralph replied.

"I bet back then you guys didn't realize that you would end up working together, huh?"

"Nope."

"Though in retrospect, it was kind of a natural fit." Felix said.

"What did Teddy end up doing?" Vanellope asked.

"Well, I can't tell you that **now**."

"Why not, Felix?"

"Well, that would be going out of order."

"**Out of order!?**"

"Not **that** kind of out of order." Ralph laughed. "The order of the events in the story."

"Oohhhhhhh. Okay, that makes more sense. So, what happened next?"

"Well, I'm glad you asked, Vanellope, "Felix said, "Because this was the point where it got really interesting!"


	4. Chapter 4

**_Author's Note: There's been quite a bit of debate over who will eventually become Turbo; will it be confident show-off Jack, or shy and sweet Teddy? Who do _****you****_ think it will be? Tell me your prediction of who and why in the reviews. Enjoy! _**

**_35 Years Earlier_**

"Hey Dad, can my friend Peach come over?" Felicity said, walking in the penthouse door.

"Oh, I'm sorry honey, but Felix already has someone over."

"Really? Who would** he** have-" She began, looking around, stopping abruptly when she saw Teddy. "**You?**"

"H-hey, Felicity." He stuttered.

"What are **you** doing here?"

"W-well, uh, F-Felix invited me over."

"He **what**? Felix!" She yelled. Almost instantly, he came running into the room.

"What's wrong, sis?" He asked.

"Why did you invite **him** here?"

"He's my friend, why** wouldn't** I invite him?"

"Trust me; if you heard the stories that Jack told me about this kid, you wouldn't dare go within fifty feet of him!"

"Uh, I-I'm right here." Teddy interjected.

"Jack is a liar!" Felix yelled, not hearing Teddy's comment.

"You can't guarantee that! You want to know something? Teddy's dad is a **bad guy**!"

"Well,** on** the job, maybe. He's certainly nicer than Jack!" Felix replied angrily.

"Ugh! What do you have against him?"

"Well, let's see, uh…oh yeah! That's right! **Everything**!"

"That's it! I'm out of here!"

"Wait!" Teddy yelled in a voice louder than either of the twins had ever heard him use. Felicity stopped in her tracks and turned around.

"**_What?_**"

"C-could you please just let me explain?" He asked. Felicity sighed, but sat down on the couch, ready to listen.

"Alright, go on."

**Present Day**

"What did he have to explain?" Vanellope asked.

"Why Jack was always saying bad things about him." Felix replied.

"Because his dad was the bad guy, right?" Vanellope said.

"Well, it was more than just that." Ralph replied.

**_35 Years Earlier_**

"Back when we were little, Jack and I were best friends." Teddy explained. "We were always spending time together; you would rarely see one of us without the other. Then, once we got older, everything changed. His dad started teaching him how to race- something that we had both always dreamed of. He was incredible at it from the start, and at first, I was happy for him. But then, he started rubbing it in my face. He knew how much I wanted to race, but instead of being a good friend and teaching me how to, he just bragged that even if I **did **learn, he would still be better than me. Eventually, the taunting got worse and worse as his ego grew bigger and bigger. It got to the point that I just got completely sick of it. We got into a huge argument, and have yet to make up. **That **combined with the fact that my dad is a bad guy, and Jack is much richer and better looking than I am has turned our friendship into a rivalry. Sometimes I really want to just make up, but then he says some snide comment about what a dork I am, and I start hating him again."

"That's not at all what Jack told me." Felicity said with a confused look on her face. "**He** said that you put him down for following his dreams, just because you couldn't at the time."

"I guess that it is **sort of** true, though the motive was different, and I was more standing up for myself than putting him down."

"The question is: who do I believe?" Felicity asked.

"Whoever you want to, I guess." Teddy replied.

"Well, I **want** to believe Jack," she began, "but your story sounds much more realistic."

"S-so you believe me?"

"Yes, Teddy. I believe you."

**_Present Day_**

"They were **friends**?" Vanellope asked. "But they **hate** each other!"

"Yeah, but they didn't always." Ralph replied.

"Did they make up in the end?"

"Well, no." Felix replied. "Actually, their feud got worse."

"Why?"

"You'll see." He said. "Let's just say it had something to do with my sister."


	5. Chapter 5

**_35 Years Earlier_**

About a week had passed since Teddy's visit to Felix and Felicity's house. Not much had happened in that time. Felicity had started warming up to Teddy, who had gotten in a big argument with Jack during racing class again. Aside from that, the days had been fairly uneventful. But that all changed on this day in particular; the day that they actually started to drive.

"Hey, loser!" Jack called out to Teddy while they walked to the track. "Get ready to eat dirt!"

"Maybe **you **should get ready to eat your words!" Teddy retorted. "Who says I won't win this race?"

"Uh, everyone?"

"That's not true." Felix replied. "I think he's got a good chance."

"Yeah, if by good, you mean terrible." Jack chuckled, grabbing Felicity's hand. Teddy's face hardened and he clenched his fists, which Felix quickly took notice of.

"Don't let him get to you." He said sympathetically, making sure Jack didn't hear. "He's just a jerk."

"That's not the problem." Teddy replied, glancing at the intertwined fingers of his worst enemy and best friend's sister.

"Then what is?" Felix asked, though he was fairly certain he knew the answer.

"N-nothing." He said with a sigh.

"Dude, come on! You know you can tell me!"

"No, I can't. Y-you would hate me."

"Come on, you're my best friend. I would never hate you."

"Fine." Teddy sighed in submission. "I may kind of, sort of have a s-slight crush on your sister." He said, mumbling the final part so much that Felix could barely make out what he said.

"Why would I hate you for that?" Felix asked with a smile.

"Well a lot of guys get really protective, so-"

"Oh, please!" Felix laughed. "I see no problem in your liking her. And frankly, I would rather her be with you than Jack. She invited him over for dinner last night, and it was pretty much the worst experience I have ever had."

"So you're **sure** you're not mad?"

"Positive. Now come on; it's time to kick some butt! Forgive my potty-mouth." He replied. Teddy chuckled. What Felix considered "potty-mouth" was not even near the severity of what most people said without a thought, but niceness was in his code, and he literally couldn't say anything worse.

"Are you sure that I even have a chance of beating him?" Teddy asked, glancing towards Jack."

"Of course you do! And if -no- **when **you beat him, imagine how things are going to change for you!"

"Well, I think it's more of an 'if' than a 'when', but I appreciate the enthusiasm. But if I **do** win… man, it'll be fantastic."

"You bet it will, brother." Felix said, handing him a white helmet. They walked over towards the group of karts of all different shapes and sizes.

"Alright, let's see…" Teddy said to himself. He knew that he had to pick a good kart; it would be the one he used until school ended. "These karts in the back are much too big; I wouldn't even be able to reach the pedals." He crossed them out in his mind. "The front ones, however are far too small; I'd be squished." He turned his head towards the row of karts in the middle. "Now these…**these** are perfect." He walked over to the line, examining each kart one by one. "Now, these two are **far** from aerodynamic. This one's engine isn't nearly as high quality as it should be. Those three look cool, but can't be very fast. Man, are there huge disadvantages to every kart?" Then, his eyes swept over the one on the very end of the line. It was the ugliest kart he had ever seen. The paint was chipping, the bumper was rusted, and the leather of the seat was full of holes. _Why is this old thing even here? Couldn't they get a better one? _He thought. But, as he examined it, he figured out why. The engine, to Teddy's surprise was in incredible condition, and looked just as powerful as the rest of the karts, if not more. It was more aerodynamic than any kart that he had seen before. Ignoring its appearance, it was actually very high quality. He knew it would sound strange, but he actually related to it in a way. He climbed in and gripped the steering wheel.

"Well, that's fitting!" Jack laughed. "The** loser** picks the **ugly **kart!"

"Would you just leave him alone?" Felix yelled.

"You're not the boss of me!" He countered self-righteously. "Right, Felicity?"

"I'm actually going to have to side with Felix on this one." She said, looking at her boyfriend with a mix of embarrassment, shame, and confusion in her eyes. Teddy's eyes lit up; could she actually be defending him? "You've been really mean to him lately, and frankly, he hasn't done anything wrong."

"You're actually **protecting** him?" Jack scoffed.

"Yes." She replied, pulling her hand away from his. "And for your information, it is very far from attractive when you put people down like that."

"You'll change your mind once you see me annihilate the competition."

"That's all everything is to you, isn't it? One big competition!" Felicity yelled storming away. Jack turned towards Teddy with a scowl.

"I see you smilin' over there!"

"Why wouldn't I be smiling?" Teddy asked in a sickly-sweet voice. "You just got **told**!"

"You won't be smiling so much after this race, bucko. You just watch!" Jack shouted, climbing into a red and white striped kart.

"Oh, it's on!"


	6. Chapter 6

All of the students were lined up, ready to race, some more eager than others. Felix studied his kart's controls carefully, but they seemed much more complicated than anything that he had ever seen his dad use in **his** game. He wasn't surprised at his confusion, though. He hadn't understood anything in class, either. His code wasn't designed to do things like this. Teddy's however…

Felix's train of though was interrupted when a voice came on the sound speaker.

"On your marks, get set, go!"

Jack slammed on the gas, quickly taking first place. Felicity followed close behind, while her brother's kart stalled. Upon seeing this, Teddy slammed on the breaks, not wanting to leave his friend in the dust.

"Go ahead!" Felix shouted. "Win this thing!" Teddy smiled and slammed on the gas pedal, and just as he suspected, his kart handled incredibly easily, and went faster than he had ever even imagined. He could do this. He **would **do this. Utilizing all of the tactics he had learned in class, he dodged, swerved, and drifted expertly with perfect accuracy and timing, powered by adrenaline, the thought of payback, and a competitive streak that he had never even known that he had. He couldn't say that Felicity didn't add some motivation, as well. Soon, he was in fifth place out of twenty. But fifth wasn't good enough for him. Not for his first race. He **was** going to win. Zoom! So long, Sonic! Zip! Adios, Pac-Man! Whoosh! See ya later, Mario!

"I knew this kart was perfect!" He said to himself. Now, there were only two people ahead of him: Felicity and Jack. He floored the gas pedal at the turn, speeding to the inside just in time to catch up with his secret crush. She looked at him in surprise, but her shocked expression soon turned into a supportive smile; something that Jack quickly noticed with a scowl. He bared his teeth as Teddy rocketed up to drive next to him.

"Not on my watch!" Jack shouted, attempting to cut him off, but Teddy skillfully maneuvered away and inched ahead. Jack swerved back towards him, but once again, he was expertly matched, though he was able to catch up. They continued to be neck-and-neck, preventing each other's tricks from succeeding. As the finish line approached, Teddy started to creep in front yet again. Jack turned to Felicity, who was now far behind the two, but close enough to remind him of some of the things he had heard earlier. _There's no way this loser is stealing my girl! _He thought. _If he wins this, he'll be winning more than just the race! He'll get popularity, revenge, Felicity... But there's no way that's going to happen! Not on my watch! _He gripped his steering wheel so hard that his already pale hands turned even whiter, and turned to the other side of his opponent, allowing the bespectacled teen to go to the inside track. Teddy looked towards him in confusion; wouldn't that give him a **dis**advantage? Before he could figure out what Jack was doing, he was jolted sideways. Jack had rammed into him!

"Dude, what are you doing?!"

"Protecting my title!" Jack yelled in response, slamming even harder into the side of his enemy's kart, denting it and pushing it and its driver to the edge of the track.

"Jack,** please** stop!" Teddy pleaded. "Come on, you don't want to win this way, do you?"

"I don't care **how **I win!" Jack snarled. "As long as it means I beat **you**!" He struck Teddy's kart with such force that it spun off the track and into the grass.

"Teddy!" Felicity shouted, swerving off the track to join him. "Teddy, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I-I'm fine." He said shakily, climbing out of the vehicle. "Just a little shaken up, that's all. Wish I could say the same for my kart." As if on cue, the dented door that had barely been hanging on its hinges fell onto the ground. "Go ahead, finish the race."

"Not without you." She said.

"But my kart-"

"You can ride with me." She interrupted. He grinned as he climbed into the bright pink kart next to Felicity, but his smile disappeared when he saw Jack cross the finish line.

"Of course." He groaned. "The 'greatest racer ever' tops me once again."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, you won in **my **mind. I have been raised to believe that if someone wins by cheating, then they didn't win at all."

"Thanks, Felicity."

"No problem. And I also want to apologize. I know that I wasn't exactly welcoming when we first met."

"Don't worry about that!"

"No, really! Jack told me all these **lies** about you, and I was dumb enough to believe them. Now that I see what a great guy you are, I feel like a completely horrible person."

"Felicity, there are many words that could be used to describe you, but horrible is **definitely** **not** one of them."

"Well then, what words **could** be used to describe me?"

"Oh, I don't know…"

"You can't just say **that **without an example!" She laughed. "Come on, you've got to answer me!"

"A-alright… Well, you're kindhearted, generous, cheerful…" He paused, as if unsure whether or not to tell her the next word that came to mind, but her curious expression left him without much of a choice. "Beautiful." He looked away, trying as hard as he could to avoid eye contact, but he couldn't help but look to see her reaction and was fairly surprised by what he saw. She wasn't angry, and yet she wasn't like some of the girls he knew that would just give him a look that said "Well, duh! I knew that already!" She was just smiling bashfully, blushing slightly. "Sooo…" Teddy said cheekily. "What about me?"

"What?"

"What words could be used to describe me?"

"Hmm, let's see… You're incredibly sweet and humble. Your smile lights up the room, you are the smartest person I know, and you always put others' needs before your own, which makes you just about the best guy I know."

"Wow." Teddy said, blushing so much that it made Felicity's naturally rosy cheeks look as pale as a ghost by comparison. "T-thanks." She smiled and looked at him, and this time, he didn't try to avoid eye contact.

"You have interesting eyes." She said.

"Uh, thanks?"

"I just never noticed them before because of your glasses. I can't quite tell what color they are."

"Neither can I!' Teddy laughed. "I think they're light green, but they look different depending on the light. They can look brown, blue, yellow, green, sometimes a mix of all of them, and sometimes when my picture is taken with the flash on, they come out red, but that's the case with everybody, so...yeah. But I really don't know what my programmer was thinking when they designed me!"

"Well, whatever color they are, they're nice." Felicity chuckled, pulling up to the finish line in basically last place; only topping Felix, who would probably have done better on foot than in a kart.

"Well, well, well." Teddy heard from the sidelines.

"Jack." He growled.

"How fitting. The dork loses the race, and manages to drag my girlfriend back with him."

"He didn't drag me back, Jack. I volunteered."

"Wait, wait, wait!"

"You sure like saying things in threes, don't you, Jack?" Teddy asked with a chuckle.

"What you're saying," he said, ignoring his rival's sarcastic comment, "is that you gave up the chance to win (well, come in second) just to help** him**?"

"Not everything is about winning, Jack!" Felicity shouted.

"Yeah!" Felix agreed, finally managing to get his kart across the finish line.

"Says the one guy who did **worse **than these two." Jack scoffed.

"Okay, that's it! First you insult Teddy, then throw him off the track, and now you're making fun of my** brother?!**"

"Alright, Felicity! Chill out!" Jack said nervously.

"**Chill out?** No, I'm not going to **chill out**! You have been nothing but rude lately, and I bet you always have been! Teddy was right! You come across as this sweet-talking, cool guy, but in reality, you're just a total jerk who only cares about himself and would do anything for attention!"

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"You bet I am, Jack! You know what? It's over! We're through!" She shouted, and stomped away angrily. Jack's eyes narrowed. He had just been dumped, publicly humiliated, and was now getting dirty looks from everyone in the stadium, but there were only three words that were bothering him. Three words that kept echoing in his head. Three words that he never expected to hear from anyone, let alone Felicity: _Teddy was right_. He had lost Felicity over the person that he loathed more than anyone else! He turned to face the messy haired teen who was now trying as hard as he could (but failing) not to grin from ear-to-ear.

"**You!**"

"Well, hello there, Jack." Teddy said smugly. "How does it feel to finally get your comeuppance?"

_I can't believe this. _Jack thought. _I lost Felicity to a guy who uses the word comeuppance? _He grabbed Teddy by the collar. "Now listen up, freak! You'd better keep away from my girl! Because, trust me; once she sees how much better I am than you and comes running back to me, there'll be no one left to protect you!" Teddy's eyes widened, and the slight confidence that had appeared in them faded away as Jack glared at him much more menacingly than he could even imagine. Finally, he let go and stormed away.

"Teddy! Are you okay?" Felix asked, running up to help his friend.

"Y-yeah. Fine."

"Are you sure? Is there anything I can do?"

"Really, I'm fi- wait… did you say **anything**?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You said you're good at fixing things, right?"

"Yep! You can just call me Fix-It Felix!"

"Sooo, I can call you your **dad**'s name?"

"Alright, Fix-It Felix **Jr.** But seriously! What do you need fixed?" He asked with a snicker. Teddy motioned towards his kart, which lay demolished in the middle of the field. Felix smiled; this was going to be a challenge, but he lived for challenges. "Can do!"

**_Author's Note: So there was chapter 6! Once again, reviews are always appreciated, so if you could give me some feedback, that would be great! Thank you!_**


	7. Chapter 7

Felix strode towards the demolished go-kart confidently. Sure, it was going to be difficult, but it was just the test he was hoping for. He enjoyed shop class, but he also found it incredibly simple. As he inspected the kart, however, he realized that it was going to be even more difficult than he had initially assumed. Not only was it basically in pieces, but the engine was severely damaged, and while he was good at fixing things, he was no mechanic.

"Jiminey jaminey!" he said quietly. "How was Jack able to cause so much damage?" Honestly, the only person that he could have imagined causing more destruction to a go-kart was Ralph. But Felix couldn't imagine a reason for Ralph to wreck a kart, so he figured that this was the worst shape that he would ever see one in.

"Well, it wasn't exactly in great shape to begin with." Teddy sighed. "Do you really think you can fix it?"

"Of course I do!" Felix bluffed. "It may take a while, but I can **definitely** fix it!"

"Fantastic! Thanks, Felix!"

"You are very welcome, my friend."

Later that night, Felix took the kart back to his father's game. Before even going inside, he walked around the outside of the building towards the toolshed in the back. No one really used any of the tools, as his father took care of anything that needed fixing, but Felix was determined to do this by himself. How hard could it be to fix a go-kart? _Okay, there's got to be something I could use in here. _He thought. Rummaging around, he came across an ancient looking box filled with a variety of old tools that had clearly never been used.

"Alrighty, let's see what we've got here. Wrench, screwdriver, tape measure, ratchet, pliers, drill, saw. I guess it's a start. And I may need to find some paint somewhere, and maybe a new seat, and…"

"What are you doing in here, Felix?"

"Dad!" Felix exclaimed nervously. He had been so focused on the kart that he hadn't heard his father walk up behind him. "Uh, I was just working on-"

"A go-kart?"

"Well, yeah. My friend got into a minor…crash, I guess you could say."

"Well, son, I think you and I have two very different ideas of what counts as minor." Felix Sr. laughed, looking at the state of the kart. "Was your friend okay?"

"Yeah, he was fine, but clearly his go-kart was not, so…"

"So you wanted to fix it up for him, I see?"

"Well, yeah. So I was just looking for some tools, so I can-"

"If that's the case, then you missed one."

"Pardon me?"

"You're missing a tool"

"Which one?" Felix Jr. asked. At that, his father strolled past him into the shed. He approached the shelf along the back wall, and grabbed something off the top.

"The most important one of all." He held his hand out to reveal a shiny, golden hammer.

"B-but, Dad! Don't you need that?"

"Well this isn't the one that I use for gameplay. I keep this one in the shed in case I lose mine, but it looks like you need it much more than I do right now. Go ahead. Take it."

"Why, thank you! Thank you very much!" Felix said excitedly, grabbing the hammer and holding it as if it was as precious as a newborn baby. He had always secretly wanted the magical tool, but he had never dared ask for it. Now he could fix anything, just like his father.

"Now why don't you get back to work?" His father said with a proud smile.

"Will do, sir!" Felix exclaimed, turning towards what was left of the go-kart. "I can fix it!"

With a single tap of the hammer, the kart was in better condition than it had been when Teddy had first set foot in it. Felix grinned from ear-to-ear, both excited that he had actually fixed something other than what Ralph accidentally wrecked in shop class, and happy that his friend finally had a good quality kart; inside **and **out. They both were on their ways to achieving their biggest dreams.

The next day, Teddy walked up to him in the hallway.

"So how's the kart coming?" he asked.

"It's all fixed!"

"Really? How'd you do it so fast?"

"Well, let's just say I had a little help from my father."

"So he used the magic hammer?"

"Nope, he didn't. **I **did!" Felix said victoriously, holding up the tool that hadn't been more than five feet away from him since he received it.

"No way, dude! That's awesome! Did he actually give that to you? What about his game?"

"Well, it turned out that he had a spare, and now it's mine!"

"That's fantastic!"

"I know, right?"

"Hey, guys. What's up?" they heard from behind them.

"Oh, hey Felicity!" Teddy said. "Nothing much. We're talking about Felix's hammer."

"Oh, yeah. He's been talking about it nonstop at home." She said, feigning annoyance.

"And, by the way I just want to thank you again for yesterday."

"Really, it was nothing."

"No it wasn't. Honestly, if it wasn't for you, I don't know what would have happened!"

"Well, if it wasn't for you, I might still be dating Jack!"

"I seriously doubt it."

"Well, maybe-"

"Guys! Did you hear the news?" They heard from behind them.

"What news, Peter?" Felix asked.

"There's a new game getting plugged in next week!"

"Really?" Teddy asked.

"So, someone's going to get their own game!" Felicity said excitedly.

"What kind of game is it?" Felix asked.

"A racing game! What else?"


	8. Chapter 8

Felix had always known that Teddy was dedicated and focused in school, but he had never seen him like this. He spent every moment of his free time studying, and took notes on everything that was said in class, whether it was important or not. He competed in several more races, as well, but he didn't dare attempt to pass Jack for fear of being thrown off the track again. Sure, Felix could easily fix his kart if it was damaged, but finishing last in every race was a heck of a lot worse than second. He didn't even get in any arguments with Jack, who was also noticeably more focused than usual. All of this continued until two days before the new game was plugged in, when the teacher stood in front of the class to make an announcement.

"Alright, class. I have in my hand a list of everyone's rankings in the class. The higher someone is on the list, the more likely they are to be chosen for the new game. Now, I am going to post this up in the front of the classroom, and walk towards the back. When I get there-" She wasn't able to finish, as many of the kids sprinted up instantly to see how high on the board they were. Teddy remained seated, though he was basically doing everything he could to not jump out of his seat and sprint to the front. He wanted to see his ranking as much, if not more than the others, but it was even more important to him that he followed the rules. One slip-up could cost him a shot at getting that game. The teacher noticed this instantly and smiled. While she wasn't supposed to pick favorites, she would be lying if she said that she didn't have a soft spot for the generally misunderstood teen. He and Jack had been in constant competition to be the top student in the class, though when Teddy succeeded, he didn't brag about it. He just smiled wide and exchanged glances with Felix and Felicity. The twins had quickly caught on to what his reaction was when he got a good grade, and always gave him a thumbs up, which he would quickly return, grinning like an idiot. Sometimes Jack would notice this and scowl, before giving a whole speech about how great he was to the rest of the class. Sometimes Teddy would jump in and argue, but mostly, he would just try to ignore him.

Eventually, Teddy figured that it would be alright to go up and check. As he walked up, he noticed that everyone in the class was staring at him wide-eyed in shock and confusion.

"What?" He asked. "Is there something in my teeth?" A few people shook their heads, but most people just backed away to let him through. He was too afraid to look at the top of the list, so he started at the bottom. The lowest ranked person was Felix, which didn't come as a surprise to anyone who had seen him on the track. As he worked his way up the list, he was relieved to find that his name was nowhere near the bottom. He kept going until he reached the third spot: Felicity. A big, toothy smile spread across his face as he realized that; 1. His biggest crush was near the top of the list, and 2. He was either in the second spot or the first. He took a deep breath and looked at the name directly above Felicity's, expecting to see his own, but he gasped in surprise when he read the name; Jack.

He did a double take. _Is my name really at the top?_ He thought_. No, it couldn't be; I must have skipped over it somehow._ But, no, his name was at the top; he could see it clear as day. He was the highest ranked racer in the class; not Jack. He turned around to see some people pointing and staring at him, others' eyes kept flickering back and forth between him and Jack. _How could __**Teddy**__ be at the top? He never won a race in his life! _

He turned towards Jack, who he realized had yet to read the board and was strolling casually towards it with a confident smirk on his face.

"Well, well, what a shocker." He said sarcastically. "The person at the top of the list is…" Upon looking at the list, Jack paused for a second in confusion that erupted into pure rage. "**Teddy?!**" He turned towards the bespectacled teen who looked just as confused as he was. "That is not possible! This…this…**loser**…is not nearly as good at racing as I am! **I **am the greatest racer **ever**! **He** is** barely** anything more than a worthless **glitch**!" Teddy sunk down in fear and shock, but Felix had another idea.

"Teddy is **not **a glitch, Jack! And you are certainly not the greatest racer ever! You are just a self-absorbed, spoiled, overconfident jerk who has no right to be putting down the one person who has proven time and time again to be much better than you; both on the racetrack, **and** in life!" Teddy looked at his friend in surprise. Felix was physically incapable of doing anything that wasn't incredibly nice; it wasn't in his code, and yet, here he was, saying things that even **he** wouldn't dare say.

"Yeah!" Felicity agreed, standing up. "Teddy is the most amazing guy I have ever met! He's sweet, brilliant, and yeah, a **fantastic** racer. **You**, on the other hand are arrogant and cruel."

"Really, **cruel**? Everyone **else** here will tell you the exact opposite. Right, everyone?" The entire room (sans Teddy, Felicity, and Felix) erupted in shouts of agreement.

"Don't you see?" Felicity asked the other avatars. "Jack has you all under his thumb. He treats you like dirt, and has convinced you that he should be rewarded for it!"

"Oh, **I **have everyone under my thumb? Well, I'm not the only one." He turned towards Teddy, who looked on the verge of passing out. "What about you, Teddy? Have you told them your little secret?"

"Secret? What secret?" Felix asked.

"Oh, so you **haven't** told them? Well, then I guess that I'll just have to do it for you." Teddy's face turned white, and his eyes widened.

"How on earth would **you** know about any big secret of his?" Felicity demanded. "Even if he had one, there's no way he'd tell you!"

"Oh, but you see, darling, he and I are from the same game; not to mention the fact that we were actually **friends** when we were younger."

"Get to the point." Felix growled.

"Well, you see…" Jack said, standing up on the desk. "I wasn't being metaphorical when I said that Teddy is barely anything more than a glitch."

"Please, no." Teddy begged, tears beginning to well up in his eyes.

"You see, when our game was designed, and Teddy and I came to be, he was supposed to be the main character. But, when someone created my father to be an NPC, they realized that he would be far better as the protagonist, and they edited the game to make that so. Teddy here was all but deleted from the code, therefore becoming what he **should** be today: a glitch." Everyone gasped and stared at Teddy, who now appeared as if he was about to vomit. "He would have stayed that way, too. That is, if he and I had never met. We were just children at the time. Being naïve and foolish, I decided to help him out. I did research on coding, and brought that knowledge back to him. Together, we learned enough that we were able to go into the game's code room and…de-glitchify him, I guess you could say. His coding was still fairly faulty, but he was able to leave the game, which was all that he really wanted; our game isn't exactly the most pleasant to live in. What I didn't realize was that making him less of a glitch also jeopardized the coding of the game. Because he was originally the main character, he now had the ability and proper coding to become the hero yet again. All that he had to do was cross the finish line, and the game would reset, putting him back in the spot that he lost to my father. We knew that we had to keep him from racing at all costs. If he **did** race, not only would my father be out of a job, but any players would become incredibly confused to find that a new character has appeared from out of nowhere, and they may have stopped playing the game altogether. In all likelihood, we would've been unplugged, as well. But, racing was in Teddy's code, and he did everything he could to try to get on the track. Obviously, my father and I did everything we could to stop him, but once a main character that has become a glitch gets an idea into their head, there is no talking them out of it. Eventually, I did what I had to do. I went back into the code and did the one thing that he didn't know how to do; I copied the data from an NPC and implanted it into his code, making it impossible for him to regain his title, but it was foreign to his code, and he started glitching like crazy; more so than I had ever seen. This went on for several days, until his coding finally got used to it, and he now was stuck being nothing more than a spectator, if not a slightly glitchy one. Even so, we made sure that he never learned to race, just in case. But then, school started. He made me swear on the first day that I would never tell anyone that he is technically still a glitch. But that promise fizzled out when he was foolish enough to do all that he did to get to the top of that list. Now, I find it important to warn you all: he could be a real threat to any game that he is put into, because his code is still incredibly unstable. If any anomaly even slightly different from typical gameplay occurs, he could start glitching uncontrollably, and then what? He is incredibly dangerous, and therefore, has no right whatsoever to get that new game."

"I-is all of this true, Teddy?" Felicity asked solemnly. Teddy closed his eyes and nodded as a tear streamed down his cheek.

"I thought you said that his dad is the bad guy in your dad's game." Someone in the crowd said to Jack.

"That was just a lie to give an explanation of why we hate each other. There are no bad guys in racing games!" Jack scoffed. The room fell silent after that. Teddy just stood there, pale and shaking, trying as hard as he could to not start full-blown crying. Jack had been the only one who knew  
his secret, and every day he had feared that he would tell someone, and now he had, and there was nothing that he could do about it. Everyone knew the truth, and now there was no way that he could get this racing game. There was no way he could get **any** game. Or so he thought. Felicity grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight.

"I don't care." She said firmly. "Teddy may be a glitch, but that doesn't change anything. He's still better then you, and he still should get that game!" Teddy looked into her eyes, a disbelieving smile forming on his face.

"Do you really mean that?"

"Of course I do. You're no different than you were yesterday, we just happen to know more about you than we used to. You deserved the game then, and you deserve it now, too! Who's with me?" Teddy anticipated Felix's agreement, but he could never have predicted what happened next; one by one, people began to stand up and cheer, which transformed into an enthusiastic chanting of his name:

"Teddy! Teddy! Teddy! Teddy!"

Teddy's eyes shone and a smile spread across his face. Jack was finally below him, and the fact that he was technically a glitch didn't even matter. He honestly didn't think that he could be happier, that is until Felicity planted a kiss on his cheek. Then, he thought that he could just about explode with giddiness and cheer.

In all of the excitement, he didn't notice Jack, who was sitting in the corner with a scowl on his face. He knew that he had to come up with a plan; there was no way that he was going to let that glitch win. And he knew the perfect way to make sure that he didn't.

"Enjoy this moment now, Teddy." He muttered. "Because soon, you won't have another one like it again."


	9. Chapter 9

**_Author's Note: Hi, there! Before I start chapter 9, I want to say a few things. First of all; thank you for reading this far in the story. It really means a lot to me that people are actually reading my work and reviewing. Secondly; in this chapter, I will finally reveal who becomes Turbo. Now, while I absolutely love getting reviews, as I enjoy getting feedback on my work, if you post a review on this chapter, I would really appreciate it if it doesn't contain any spoilers. I know that before I start reading a story, I read the reviews first, and people always have given away the ending, so if you do take the time to give me some feedback; thank you very much, first of all, but please at least withhold the name of the person who becomes Turbo. Thank you, and enjoy chapter 9._**** J**

"Oh my gosh! Here it is!" Felicity said in excitement as a game console was wheeled in. Everyone gathered around to watch, with her and Teddy in the front.

"I can't believe it's really happening! I almost don't believe it!" He squealed. "I mean, I have dreamt about it for **so** long, and now... now I think I might puke, actually. I mean, I think I might **puke**."

"Well, if you do, there's a garbage can right over there." Felicity chuckled.

"Thank you, but it hopefully won't be necessary."

"Alright. But seriously. What is it called? I can't quite see."

"By the looks of it, it's called Turbo Time."

"Ooh! That sounds cool! I bet you can't wait!"

"Well, I haven't officially gotten it yet. But I got to tell you, if I do, man, it'll be fantastic! I'll be living like a king!" He said, but then stopped and sighed; a grim expression forming on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"Everything is going perfectly. **Too **perfectly. I just keep waiting for it all to be pulled out from under me, you know? And with Jack telling everyone that I'm a glitch, I just..."

"Wait, wait, wait. Do you honestly think that that will change anything? So you're a glitch...**so what**? You'll get this game, and everything will be fine!"

"But Jack could-"

"Honestly, what can** Jack** do? I think that you seriously overestimate him."

"I don't know. When he sets his mind on something, there's no stopping him. And there's a lot that I have that he wants; the game, my friends, **you...**"

"Alright, Teddy, if nothing else, I promise you that there is nothing that Jack can do to make us break up. I care about you a lot, and always will."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure."

"I feel the same way." He said with a smile. Jack (who was secretly watching them from the other side of the room) scowled. He would wait for the official announcement before doing anything harsh, but if Teddy got the new game, then he would put his master plan to work.

"Wait a second, what's that?" Someone in the crowd said. Teddy turned his head to see a second game being wheeled in.

"Another game?" Felicity asked. "But no one had time to figure out who to give it to! How will they know who should get it?"

"I don't think that will be a problem!" Teddy said as he caught a glimpse of the name written on the side of the console: Fix-It Felix Jr. Felix himself ran up to get a better view, and once he had confirmed that it said what he thought it said, a huge smile spread across his face.

"Jiminey Jaminey!"

"Congratulations, Felix!" Felicity yelled, giving her brother a big hug.

"Good for you, buddy!" Teddy said, giving him a thumbs up.

"Oh, my!" The teacher exclaimed. "It appears that there is one more game coming in today!" She smiled at Felix. "And we all know who the hero is going to be. But who will be the bad guy?"

As if on cue, Ralph walked into the room, hitting his head on the doorway, which collapsed.

"I think I know just the guy." Felix said.

"Alright, it's settled." The teacher replied. "I'll go talk to Ralph. Felix, can you fix that doorway?"

"Piece of cake." Felix said, pulling out his hammer. Teddy turned towards Felicity with a smile.

"Gosh, nearly everybody is getting a game today!" Felicity said.

"Well your name was pretty high up on the list. Maybe** you'll** get that new game."

"I'm pretty sure Turbo has to be a guy."

"Well, who says that Turbo is the only character?" he replied. Felicity sighed dejectedly.

"I don't know, Ted. I really don't think that I'll be getting a new game anytime soon."

"Well, I **do** know. You're **going **to get a game. Whether it's today or another day, I don't know, but what I am sure of is that yours will be the most popular one in the arcade when it's plugged in."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now, come on! They're about to announce who's getting the new game!" He pulled her towards a big podium that was set up in the middle of the room.

"Ladies, gentlemen, and humanoid creatures of nonspecific gender, I have in my hand the name of the person who will be the main character in the new racing game!" The teacher said. "We have all put our heads together and come to a unanimous decision. The character who will be getting the new game is…" She pulled a small sheet of paper out of the envelope in her hand. She already knew who it was, but she figured that it made for good dramatic effect. "Teddy!"

"Teddy's eyes lit up in excitement, and his mouth spread into a big, goofy grin. All of his life had led up to this moment, and he had never been more excited. Felicity and Felix gave him a huge hug each; they were nearly as ecstatic as he was. The crowd erupted with cheers, and the teachers all exchanged smiles. They had always liked that kid. What no one noticed was Jack sneaking out the door with a maniacal smirk on his face. He had lost the girl, he'd lost the game, but there was one thing that he still had: access to Teddy's coding. And now was the perfect time to use it. There was no way that annoying little glitch was going to win. Not on his watch.

As Teddy and the twins walked towards the entrance to Turbo Time, the newly appointed racer stopped in his tracks and took a deep breath.

"What's wrong, Teddy?" Felicity asked.

"It's just that…this is the first time that I'll ever walk into a game that is actually mine, you know? It's the first time that my presence is not only welcomed, but **required**. The first time that I'm more than…more than just a glitch." He replied. Felicity squeezed his hand comfortingly.

"Well, are you sure you're ready for this?" Felix asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be." With that, they walked into the game. As soon as they entered, Teddy's old t-shirt and worn out jeans transformed into a red and white jumpsuit that looked exactly the same as the picture on the side of the console. His sneakers looked much newer and felt far more comfortable. His formerly messy hair was now perfectly brushed, and his glasses vanished, though he could still see. He was now what he had always been programmed to be: a racer, **not** a glitch. Sure, his code was still slightly off-kilter, but as long as there were no foreign anomalies, he figured that he should be fine.

What he didn't realize was that Jack was sneaking behind him into the code room, muttering to himself.

"Little glitch…thinks he can take everything from me…I'll show him…he'll be sorry…he **will** be sorry!" He finally reached the code, which was barely even hidden at all (in the back of a small garage that was off-screen.) He walked down the brightly lit hallway until he found the door. "Let's see, what was that code again? Oh, right! Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start!" The door opened, and Jack looked out into the code. This was a bit more complicated than his own game, but that wasn't about to stop him. He tied a rope around his waist and attached to other end to a pole to keep him from floating away. Then, he jumped in. "Let's see, 'Stadium,' 'Karts,' 'Spectators…' A-ha! There he is!" Sitting right in front of him was a large box that simply said "Teddy." This was it. He tapped on the box, which expanded to reveal its contents. "Perfect."

Meanwhile, Felix had run out of the game to get something, so Felicity and Teddy were left alone.

"I **told **you everything would be fine!" Felicity said cheerfully. "Now look at you! You have your own game and Jack hasn't done a single thing to interfere."

"You know what's funny?" Teddy said, grabbing a white helmet with a scarlet T off of a hook.

"What?"

"The game really isn't the best thing about all of this. I always thought it would be; I mean, it's been my dream ever since I was little! But now that it's here, I'm happy and all, but I've found something a heck of a lot better."

"What?"

"You." He said with a huge smile, squeezing his girlfriend's hand even tighter. And of course, that was when Felix walked in, pushing something that was concealed under a big tarp.

"Hey, Ted! I've got a surprise for you!" he said. Teddy just rolled his eyes and laughed. His friend was nice and all, but he really didn't seem to know when it was a bad time to interrupt someone.

"Alright, what is it?" he asked with a grin, trying not to chuckle at his friend's blindness. Felix grabbed hold of the tarp, and pulled it off to reveal Teddy's kart. "Felix, doesn't this belong to the school?" he asked.

"It **did**. But the teachers and I agreed that you and that kart have been through so much together that it should be the one you use for your game."

"Thank you, Felix!" He said excitedly. The one bittersweet part of getting the new game was that he had thought that he would need to get rid of his beloved kart, but now he never had to. "You guys are the best!" he said, completely unaware of what was going on in the code room right behind them. Jack had been watching the whole scene via a screen located in the middle of the code room, and he realized something.

"It's not enough to take the game away from him! He would be fine with that. What I need to take is **Felicity**. But that's not going to be easy." Then, an idea struck him. "Though, of course, why should **I** do all of that work when he can do it himself?" An evil grin formed on his face as he recalled everything that people, especially Felicity had called him in the past: cruel, arrogant, self-absorbed, overconfident, a showoff, a total jerk who only cared about himself and would do anything for attention. "Hey Felicity," he said, though he knew that she couldn't hear him, "Thanks for the suggestions. If you didn't like all those things on me, let's see how you feel when your little boyfriend's the same way **up to an eleven**!" He started fiddling with the data inside the box with a maniacal laugh. "Ah, glitches. So easy to completely corrupt."

Meanwhile, Teddy and Felicity had finally gotten some alone time when Felix noticed a broken bleacher.

"So what was that that you were saying to me earlier, Teddy?" She asked.

"Just that you are **so **much better than any game. You are the most amazing person that I have ever met. If it wasn't for you, I don't know what I would be doing right now. I certainly wouldn't be here! You have done everything for me, and I couldn't thank you enough. Felicity, **I love**-" suddenly, he froze, his eyes wide.

"T-Teddy?" She asked nervously. "You okay?" he didn't reply; honestly, she doubted that he had heard her. He was now glitching uncontrollably, clutching his head. "**Teddy!**" she screamed. Felix turned, and upon seeing what was going on, sprinted towards the two.

"Teddy! What's wrong? What's happening?" He asked frantically.

"My… my code!" he said, desperately trying to speak clearly through the violent glitching, and falling onto his knees. "ṨṏḿḝᴼṋΈ΄Ϩ…ḿḝṧṥᵢᶇᶢ…ᾥἾṱԋ…ᴍὟ…©ºÐë!¡!" He cried out in pain and collapsed onto the ground.

"Felix, do something!" Felicity screamed.

"I don't know what to do!" He shouted in reply, looking back at his friend, who was breathing heavily; his hands still clutched around his head as binary crackled against his character design. And then finally, the glitching stopped as quickly as it started. He stood up shakily, with his back towards the twins.

"T-Teddy?" Felicity asked nervously. "A-are you alright?"

"I've never been better." He replied in a voice that sounded very different from his own. "In fact," he turned around to face them, and upon seeing his face, Felicity screamed. His normally tan skin was now a sickly pale color. Smile lines were visible near his eyes and mouth, giving him almost a skeletal appearance, and his eyes, whose color had become a bit of a joke between the two of them, were most definitely, unmistakably yellow, and surrounded by dark circles. This was not at all the Teddy that she knew. If anything, he seemed more like a monster. "You might just say I'm **Turbo-Tastic**!"


	10. Chapter 10

**_Author's Note: Here is the last chapter of this story! But it is still not the end! After this, I will start working on a sequel that takes place after the events of the movie and ties everything together from this story. I apologize that this update is so short, but it is more to set up the sequel than anything. Thank you for reading, and enjoy the final chapter of "Before the Game." _**

**Present Day**

"Wait, wait, wait! **Teddy** was Turbo?" Vanellope asked. "But it was supposed to be Jack!"

"I know." Felix sighed. "In a way, everything that happened **was** Jack's fault. He just wasn't technically the one doing it. It sure was tough losing Teddy as a friend though. Felicity was absolutely heartbroken."

"Where did Felicity end up, anyway?"

"She…" Felix said shakily, his eyes starting to water. "She vanished fifteen years ago without a trace. I haven't seen her since."

"I'm so sorry, Felix! I didn't know!"

"It's alright, little missy. I know Felicity. She's tough. I'm sure she's fine. I just wish that I knew where she was."

"Well maybe you'll find out soon!"

"Hopefully, but I doubt it."

"Maybe I can help you search!" Vanellope suggested.

"That would be wonderful! You'd really do that?"

"Of course! And I'm sure Stinkbrain and the Sarge would be willing to help, too!"

"I know**_ I_** would!" Ralph said.

"Thank you, guys!"

"No problem, Felix."

"But where should we check first?"

"We could look around **this **game." Vanellope suggested. "And I think I know just where to start!"


End file.
